Start date changes for Bridge of Gods work

The schedule for upcoming repair work to be performed on the Bridge of the Gods has changed once again.

Port of Cascade Locks Interim General Manager Paul Koch reported Monday that the repair work will begin Monday, Oct. 21, instead of Wednesday, Oct. 16, as the schedule originally dictated. Koch said the contractor announced the change Monday morning, but did not give a reason as to why.

The 1,858-foot-long structure needs repairs to a number of its components before heavy trucks can resume travel on the bride. In July, the Oregon Department of Transportation reduced the weight limit on the bridge from 40-30 tons to 8 tons after a load analysis study revealed that dozens of corroding stringers and gussets — support beams and connecting plates — were in need of repair or replacement.

Despite the delay, Koch said the port was “still on track” to complete the work by Dec. 31 that will restore the bridge’s original weight restrictions.

However, it was also announced that the Bridge of the Gods will likely see more closures as new regulations mandate the port replace welds that hold bridge components together with bolts. That project, known as “clip work,” is scheduled to begin in January, and has no bearing on the bridge’s current weight restrictions.

Below is the complete closure information, subject to change:

Oct. 21 to mid-November: Gusset work begins. Intermittent lane closures will occur on the bridge during the day. No nighttime closures will occur.

Nov. 15 to Dec. 31: Stringer work begins. The bridge will be closed at night from 9 p.m. to 5:30 a.m.

January 2014: Clip work begins. Single-lane traffic controls will be in place. The bridge is expected to be closed at night from 9 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. However, the port has “sought information on stretching this work out until Feb. 15 in exchange for no night time closures.”